Thursday, October 09, 2008

Depression Cooking

How's that ol' economy treating you? I thought right about now you all might find Depression Cooking with Clara inspiring. Clara is a charming 91-year-old great-grandmother who lived through the (first?) Great Depression. She demonstrates some of the meals that she and her family ate and tells stories of the times:

You might note that the cheap staples she uses in most meals -- pasta, potatoes, onions, etc. -- are vegan. In fact, except for the cheese sprinkled on at the end, this first meal is entirely vegan.

I recall making a dish like this from a cookbook called "Modern Italian Cooking" or something; it was "Pasta, Potatoes, Pesto, and Peas." And that was before I was vegan.

Growing up, we had cottage cheese and noodles a lot (my family is Slavic) and I'm certain that was a Depression-era dish (but also a Russian revolution dish--those Slavs went through some hard times. You know the word "slave" comes from "Slav"--but I digress.)

Reminds me of my grandma...I miss her! She was Italian, and the most resourceful cook I knew. She could stretch a meal a whole week. I learned a lot from her, including how to make many dishes from just a few ingredients. How wonderful. Thanks for posting!

This is pretty off topic, but I am looking for more books for teens with vegan or vegetarian characters I've only found two and I'd really like a story with a main character that is a boy. Anyone have any?

Hi Jennifer,This got me thinking. I wonder what people would suggest if asked about their most economical, vegan, delicious, family-friendly fare. It wouldn't need to even be "recipe" based --but rather ideas: --lentils and rice--veggie chili and cornbread--?? fill in the blanks :)

She is absolutely adorable and obviously very knowledgeable. We are lucky to have her. She makes me miss my grandmother even more than usual. I hope she keeps cooking and making us all appreciate grandmothers more everyday.